Chapter Text
It starts with the university students in the flat next door accidentally starting a fire in their kitchen trying to make a night time snack. The whole apartment complex is ushered out onto the streets at almost two in the morning while some firefighters get things under control.
Jeonghan is standing off to the side of the building, rocking Seungkwan gently against his chest, desperately trying to soothe the distressed boy. The two-year-old had not taken kindly to being woken by a loud beeping and then forced out into the cold night air, something he'd made sure to express by a good twenty minutes of crying. Jeonghan didn't blame him, and was honestly kind of jealous that he couldn't get away with screaming after having his precious sleep stolen from him.
He presses his lips to Seungkwan's forehead and hums a low melody, trying to distract them both from the cold October air. He feels guilty at having forgotten to bring a proper blanket to keep Seungkwan warm, but in his rush to get the both out it had completely slipped his mind.
"Shh, baby I know you're cold," he says, looking the screaming toddler in the face."We'll go inside soon, ok? Then I promise we'll both get warm and you can sleep in papa's bed, how's that sound?"
He only gets a few hiccuped sobs in response, and he raises a hand to wipe Seungkwan's tears off his face, the guilt growing heavier in his stomach.
Suddenly footsteps approach them, and from the corner of his eye he sees one of the firefighters walk up to them. He turns his head to look at the approaching man, stomach flipping at the handsome features and kind smile the man was sporting.
"Hi there," the firefighter said, looking between Seungkwan and Jeonghan."You and your little one look a bit cold, so I thought you might want to borrow a jacket?" As he speaks the man raises his arm slightly, bringing Jeonghan's attention to the beige firefighter jacket he's got draped over it.
"Thank you, that's so kind of you," Jeonghan says, still rocking Seungkwan back and forth."The alarm startled me so I didn't bring us proper clothing."
"That's understandable," the firefighter is still smiling kindly at them, something in his eyes looking almost fond. He unfolds the jacket and holds it up."May I?"
Jeonghan nods, and as the handsome firefighter drapes the thick jacket over his shoulders and zips it up just enough that Seungkwan's head peeks out he has to hold himself back from blushing.
Once the jacket is zipped up the man bends down a but so he's eye level with Seungkwan, who's finally gotten distracted enough to stop his screaming.
"That's better, isn't it, little one?" He gently boops Seungkwan's nose, and Jeonghan's heart flutters at how cute the sight is.
Seungkwan seems caught off guard by the attention, but ultimately manages a smile and a little giggle.
"Thank you, again, we really appreciate it." Jeonghan says once the firefighter is looking at him again.
"No problem, I'm here to help," He says, running a hand through his hair."We'll probably be done in another ten minutes or so, and then you can head back inside, so hang in there you two, okay?" As he says 'okay' he looks down at Seungkwan for confirmation, but the toddler only waves his hands around a bit and laughs.
Jeonghan tries to come up with something to say, something funny and charming that could keep the firefighter by his side for a bit longer, but ultimately just thanks him once more and lets him get back to so his job.
Half an hour later, once he's put Seungkwan back in his bed and changed out of his own wet slippers and socks, he remembers the jacket the firefighter had lent to him. He hadn't seen him as he walked inside and had been too tired to think of going to look for him to return it.
He looks the beige garment over, heart skipping as he finds a nametag, the name 'Choi Seungcheol' printed in neat letters, as well as the name of the firestation he worked at.
Jeonghan thumbed the tag and bit his lip, already planning out how he was going to go about returning the jacket to its owner, as well as (possibly, maybe, hopefully) scoring himself a date with the handsome firefighter.